Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-01-28
WOMAN AND HOME.
HOW A 16 YEAR.OLD GIRLS EYES
WERE OPENED.
IGood Housekeeping.l

At is | could paint a rose or lily
so like the genuine flowers that
they themselves might have been
deceived by my portrayals and
have taken them for their own
pretty reflections in a stream or
mirror. And in music | had 80
mastered the intricacies even OF
Beethoven that l played one of his
sonatas all through at public re-
cital. But | never had swept a
room in my life, and # any one had
asked me why eggs were used in
cooking l might perhaps have
been Obtuse enough to answer,
"For sweetening purposes" And
gloried in my igorance consider
ing 1t "bllss," until one day in
summer, when my eyes were open
ed wider than they ever were be-
fore.
My parents had gone away for a
day or two, taking the chamber
maid with them, and Immediately
after their departure the cook went
to bed sick. | was not much dis
turbed, however, as there was
plenty OF cooked food in the house.
But about noon, when l was prac-
Using the scales, and my fingers
were scamperinG like white mice
from one end of the piano to the
other, merry laugh interrupted
my exertlons, and turning my
head, all bristling with hairpins
for evening beauti6ers, I saw my
cousin Charley and two other
youths from college. | always call
ed Charley my cousin, although
the relationship was a little indis.
tinct, his elder half sister having
married my uncle.
"Jenny," he said, "we've come
to dinner as hungry as three
bears"
"Oh dear |" gasped, "tbere's no
one here but me, and l don't know
how to get a dinner. But there's
cold meat and bread"
"Can't we have a steak, Jenny"
hs inquired, sand baked potatoes
and coffee! Well all help"
"Well,' l rejoined, "come into
the kitchen, but you'll have to
make a fire first"
eve can do it," was the merry
reply, "Tom's the philosopher"
"And you're the
ono impertinence," Charley re-
torted, "but we'll soon have a fire."
We did, aud, getting the po-
tatoes, l was putting them right
into the oven when my cousin
asked in a stage whistler, "Jenny,
Jenny, amt you going to wash
them first 7"
My cheeks burned, and taking
them to the sink 1 gave them such
a scrubbing as potatoes never re-
ceived before.
Charley 1 whispered, "shsll
| wash the steak 7"
"If you choose, DEAR" be answer
ed, "but l wouldn t use soap. Now
where's the ground coffeei"
l did not know any more about
it than if l had lived in Jupiter or
Venus, but the boys nose led him
right to the spot, and soon the
coffee was boiling and the steak
was broiling IN an appetizing way.
l placed the meat upon a dish, and
was intending to leave it thus in
"beauty unadorned," when one OF
my visitors suggested timidly: "Ex'
cuse me, but don't you put a little
something on iti Lard or butter or
something ~
"Not lard" Charley interposed,
"Great Scott butter, salt and pep
per, Jenny, are the usual ingredl-
ents."
Blushing more furiOusly than
ever, l applied the desired articles,
and the dinner was really very good.
We had merry time, but when
my cousin said good.by he added
"You're a dear, jolly girl, Jenny,
but if 1 were you I'd learn how to
cook. 1t would look better, don't
you know"
Yes. did know, and l was not
silly enough TO take Offense. |
took the hint instead, and 30 effec-
tualIy that three months after.
wards, when my adviser came to
visit US, sent the cook out of the
kitchen and got the dinner myself,
unassisted, and Charley whisper
ed-but no matter what he whis-
pered. That was several years
ago, and now he sits opposite to
me at the table three times a day"
The Good Book.